theelliad's reviews
234 reviews

My favourite from this series and for GOOD REASON, not only does this book reach an engaging and shocking climax with twists that had me stunned even on a reread, but it reaches a conclusion which is equally satisfying without sacrificing any of Riggs poetic fiction and narrative space. Is the ending a bit of a cop out- maybe but honestly I loved it then and I love it now, I’m happy the love story got to have an end even if it is a little bit of a ‘sure’ moment. It’s also nice to read fiction that isn’t completely littered (as far as I noticed and know) with evidence of the authors problematic views, escapism at its finest and ‘I thought a clean break was better than losing in slow motion’ will NEVER not kill me 

This book is such an odd mix of beautiful and poetic dives into life, grief, addiction and AIDs; sickeningly detailed depictions of triggering topics which felt unnecessarily gruesome; and strangely wattpad esk narratives focusing on genitalia? While some of the shorter essays were excellently written and explored the politics and discrimination of the epidemic in a powerful way, some of the longer ones were a little too politically driven, confusing or ultimately boring. My favourite section of the book was the postscript exploring parts of the authors past through the metaphor of a gruesome bulls fight. There were sections of this book that made me giggle and sections that made me gag and i think that says just about everything…

This is such an illuminating story of racism in publishing, implicit and not, as well as the attachment of artist and art, friendship and envy, theft and ownership. I adore Kuang’s writing and this was no exception, beautifully composed and captivating the whole way through. My only complaint is that parts of the plot felt a little predictable and cliche- maybe that’s part of the point but there was a few moments where I felt it fell a little short. The most interesting element however is Kuang’s inversion of the unreliable narrator into the context of race and villainisation- it was so strangely twisted and sickening to see the protagonist?’s flaws and their reflection in wider society! 

Genuinely forgot how deeply I love this series. This book felt like coming home in a way- an odd mix of cost and terrifying, peaceful and stressful, and known and unknown. The descriptions are beautifully written and I am surprised this series wasn’t more of a social reset! Anyways I’m excited for the next one 🕺

There is something quiet and profoundly beautiful with this story, it looks at love across the multiverse, grief and deterioration. Its a simple story and I cannot wait to see how it is brought to life

This is an excellent murder mystery exploring grief, family, love and revenge, with many twists. 

I’ve fluctuated greatly in my opinion of this book. While I completely agree that the concept of it is eternally clever and important, I’m just not a fan of the romance element. I thought the relationship was toxic and made uncomfortable (partially on purpose and partially not). I really do not like the whole pregnancy trope and I think parts of this book felt like they were written for a younger audience while others were rather horrific and adult! I really appreciate the unhappy ending as that felt more realistic and the dystopian esc setting is terrifyingly close to real racism which was interesting to explore. All in all this book was well written but not my favourite 

As far as course reads go this is was enjoyable. The narration is witty, sarcastic and full of moments that quite literally made me laugh out loud.   In terms of plot, there is none and yet this was still somehow engaging and clever. 

This is pretty poetry and has some really lovely moments. I think I will love it even more once I study it! 

This book itself was a 3.5*, it beautifully addresses inequalities within the 60s interweaving a romance, grief, trust, parenthood and identity. My main complaint is it didn’t do any of these things enough- it almost did too much in that sense. Elizabeth is powerful and annoying just as I hoped and I really love her, though at times I must admit her naivety was frustrating. What really made this book something special was the interview with the author at the end of this audio version m. I love her confident and inclusive/intersectional approach to the issues of the boom as well as the clear personal experience and research she pours into the art of writing!